Overview: What are we talking about?

When an animal visits your facility for a reservation, it's likely that their owner brought a few items in with them—bedding, food, leashes, collars, a special toy from home, etc. In Gingr, it's easy to keep track of all of the belongings that a pet came in with so that you can ensure that these items don't end up in your lost and found. This article will cover how to set up your belonging areas and belonging types, how to enter belongings on a reservation, and how to run a report for belongings in case you find a missing item.

This article includes:

• Setting Up Belonging Areas
• Setting Up Belonging Types
• Entering Belongings on a Reservation
• Using the Belongings Report

Helpful Hints: Before you begin.

• All admin users have access to the admin page controlling these settings. Additionally, admin users are able to delegate this particular admin page to other user groups. Non-admin users with access to this page will be able to make edits that affect all locations in the app. For more information see our article on User Groups and Permissions. 
  
  
• If you've been using Gingr since before June 2019, you may already enter belongings using Check In Questions on reservations. We recommend utilizing this belongings feature instead, as it allows much more customization, no character limits, and a handy report!

Set it Up: Let's get started. 

Setting up this feature is simple, and works similarly to the Lodgings feature in Gingr. Follow the steps below to get this feature configured!

Step 1: Set Up Belonging Areas

You likely already have a system in place at your facility for holding and keeping track of belongings, so all we'll be doing in this step is mirroring this setup in Gingr. You might use numbered cubbies, lockers or leash racks to store belongings now—to input your system into Gingr, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to Left-hand Navigation: Admin » Belongings.
2. On this page, click the + Add Belonging Area to create an area.
3. Select the Location and give the area a Name (i.e. Cubby 1). The Status of the area should remain on if this area is currently in use.
   
   
   
   If all of your areas have similar names, you can create them in bulk using the Bulk Create Belonging Area section of the form. Indicate how many areas to create, as well as indicate the starting number, and the system will create numbered lodgings in bulk for you.
   
   
   For example, if I have 10 cubbies, in the screenshot above I have indicated that I'd like to create 10 areas, with the starting number of 1.
   
   
   
   
4. Repeat these steps for any other areas you use to store belongings.
5. Done! 

Step 2: Set Up Belonging Types

The next step will be to set up common belonging types that pets might come in with for easy sorting. To set up belonging types:

1. Navigate to Left-hand Navigation: Admin » Belongings.
2. Click the + Add button to create a new type and enter its name.
3. Save.
   
   
   
   Note: Belonging Types should be common items that pets come in with like leashes, harnesses, bedding, toys, etc. Belonging types can also be created at check-in if a pet comes in with a first-time belonging.

Boom! All set!

How to: Enter Belongings on a Reservation.

Now that you've got this feature configured, it's time to start using it! Entering belongings will be completed as part of the check-in process using the Check-In window, and belongings can also be edited after a pet has checked in. This section of the article will go over:

• How to Enter Belongings at Check-In
• How to Capture Belongings Using Gingr PreCheck
• How to View/Edit Belongings 
• How to Use the Belongings Report

How to Enter Belongings at Check-In

When checking in pets, you'll be prompted to enter belongings on the Check-In Window. This window will display when checking in a reservation for any reservation type that has the Ask Questions setting enabled from Left-hand Navigation: Admin » Reservation Types and Services Configuration.

To enter belongings via this method, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the Expected section on the Dashboard, and click the Check Mark icon to check in a pet.
   
   
2. On the Check-In Window, fill out any other check-in information, and scroll down to the Belongings section.
   
   
3. Select the Belonging Area this pet's items will be placed in. The system will automatically select the next available Belonging Area for the reservation, but you'll be able to select a different one if you'd like, or opt to place sibling pets' lodgings in the same area.
   
   
4. Enter the belongings that the pet is bringing in by choosing an existing Belonging Type from the drop-down (or by typing out the name to create a new type if it doesn't exist already). Enter a Description on the item so that other users can easily tell which items belong to this pet.
   
   
5. Click + Add Belonging to save this item and then repeat with any other items.
   
   
6. Finalize check-in by clicking Check-In at the bottom of the check-in window.

How to Capture Belongings Using Gingr PreCheck

Similar to checking in before a flight, Gingr PreCheck allows pet parents to complete a detailed check-in form before arrival, reducing errors and saving time at the front desk with a streamlined check-in experience.

When configured, pet parents can pre-populate belongings and even include photos when filling out a Gingr PreCheck form prior to arrival.

At the time of check-in, staff can verify the belongings or add those details while reviewing the completed PreCheck form. This is done by clicking the check mark icon to the left of the applicable reservation to review the client's Gingr PreCheck form and make any final changes as needed. Once all details are confirmed, click the complete check-in button to finish the check-in process. 

For more information on Gingr PreCheck, click here. 

How to View/Edit Belongings 

If you need to enter belongings after check-in, or would like to view a pet's belongings while they are checked in, you can use the Belongings Icon on the dashboard.

Clicking on this icon will bring up the Reservation Belongings window, where you can see the Belongings, their Area, and have the option to edit or remove existing belongings, as well as add new belongings to this reservation.

How to Use the Belongings Report

The Belongings Report is a great tool to track belongings on reservations, as well as to use to track down the owner of a lost item. To access the Belongings Report, navigate to Left-hand Navigation: Reports and More Icon » Reports » Belongings Report.

This report can be generated for a date range, or for checked-in pets.